Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-05-12
WHAT CONSTITUTE TIES A
GOOD SOIL?

Board of Agriculture, already noticed
in our columns. 1t is written by Prof.
E. II. S. Bailey, the professor of chem
istry in the state university, and was
suggested or occasioned by an exami-
nation of sample of subsoil taken
from cellar on the upland, ten miles
west of this city. 1t was taken in a
dry state apparently containing no sign
of moisture whatever, and stood in a
tin pail in the university laboratory for
some six weeks before being analysed.
And yet it was found to contain nearly
ten per cent of moisture. Any person
examining this sample of our subsoil
would as soon have expected to find
water gushing from the valley of dry
bones mentioned in Scripture as in
this chalky dry powder. Yet 1t was
found to contain nearly ten per cent of
water. And this while five other sam
Piles Of soil taken from different places,
in this state, in Dakota, and in Con-
necticut yielded vastly less. Good top
soil from Sterling had less than half of
one per cent of moisture.
The Professor says: Some time
since sample Of soil from Garden City
was received at the university. Judge
L. d. Bailey, who sent. the soil, says it
was dug from cellar four feet below
the surface. 1t Is of light color and
like powdered chalk in quality. Corn,
millet, &c. grow rank and green from
the soil which has been thrown from
the cellars and deep wells. This is es-
pecially noticeable in such dry part of
the state, and during such dry season
as the last summer. Roots are stated
to have been found running
down where wells were dug, to a great
depth, in one case 40 feet. At this
depth the root was still one quarter Of
an inch in diameter Water was found
three feet further down, at 81 feet.
Another proof Of the fertility of the
soil is found in the fact that the sand
root or prairie morning glory has a
dubious root growing two or three feet
below the surface. These roots are
never affected by the drouth, and the
plant grows luxuriantly."
The Professor then gives the anal
ysis of the sample of subsoil sent
showing 81 per cent Of oxide of iron
and aluminium, Il per cent of lime, l
per cent of magnesia, little phosphor-
ic acid and less chlorine, Z of one per
cent of potash, J of one per cent of
soda and 81 per cent of moisture.
The Professor then says: "The sub
soil in this analysis has no doubt the
power to detain large amount of
moisture. This is partly due to the
presence Of a fair amount of organic
matter, and partly to the minute divi-
sion of the soil. 1t must have the
property not only to retain moisture
but to absorb it from the atmosphere.
The sample examined had been exposed
to the air of the labratory for some
weeks. This would tend to drive of
moisture if it were not strongly retain
&c" In order to show how this soil
compares with others in composition
the Professor then gives table cotain-
ing the analysis of six different sam
Piles of soil, one from Wallace county,
one from Sterling, Rice county, good
soil but showing only 47.1OO of one
per cent of moisture. One from Da-
kota, showing per cent, and one from
| Wyandotte county taken from a cult
waited field showing nearly 4per cent,
and one sample from Connecticut show
ing two and one third per cent of
moisture.
In brief the analysis shows that this
sample of white and apparently dry,
chalky subsoil from Judge Bailey S
cellar on the high upland, which is sub.
stantially like all the upland in south
western Kansas, contains much more
4 of all the elements of fertility than
! were found In all the other samples,
more lime, more phosphoric acid, more
potash, and incomparably more moist
ure. We regard this analysis as the
most important showing that has ever
been made of the agricultural capacity
and future wealth Of this whole region.
It is text from which we can preach
most effectively, for the conversion of
the unbelievers of other sections of
country, which will still maintain that
our section is doomed to be perpetually
cursed with drouth. The subsoil of
our uplands holds moisture better than
any soil known on earth Sentinel.